


Two Good Men

by Akumeoi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Actors, Author Thace, Everybody Lives, Falling In Love, Getting Together, M/M, Stunt Double Ulaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-29 03:00:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17799881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akumeoi/pseuds/Akumeoi
Summary: Long ago, a Medic and a Warrior fell in love, fought side by side, and died together to free their country from the grip of a tyrannical emperor. Today, Ulaz is honoured to be playing the stunt double for the Medic in a movie based on a book called Two Good Men. One day, Ulaz meets the author of the book - Thace vas Noverok - on set. They immediately take a liking to each other.





	Two Good Men

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Revasnaslan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revasnaslan/gifts).



“Lights... camera... action!”

Once upon a time, the country of Daibazaal was taken over by invaders from the south, led by a cruel tyrant called Zarkon. His control of the country was absolute, but a secret and honourable organisation of ex-knights and assassin like warriors fought to reclaim their country and place the true king, Kolivan, on the throne. This organisation was called the Blade of Marmora.

One high ranking Blade was so successful in infiltrating the Empire’s army that he eventually became a general. This Blade is called the Warrior. Together, he and his lover, the Medic, were able to sabotage the empire at a key moment during the Battle of Altea, which was the turning point of the war. For this crime, the two lovers were sentenced to death by the Empire. And as hundreds of years passed, their names and stories became lost to history and legend.

Until a few years ago, when secret documents, including letters exchanged between the two lovers and records of their execution, were found in the previously lost archives of Blade Archivist Vini. Thanks to those documents, a best-selling book called “Two Good Men” had been written about their story. And now, Balmera Pictures was making it into a movie. Go figure.

The second camera assistant clapped the slate to herald the beginning of the next take. Ulaz watched from off-set as the cameras started rolling.

MEDIC: If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already.

Ulaz smiled as he heard that line.

When Ulaz had first read Two Good Men, he had found it incredibly moving, especially the devotion the Warrior and the Medic held for each other and for their cause. Now, some years later, he had had the good fortune to be cast as the stunt double for the Medic. Big shoes to fill. But Ulaz had confidence in his abilities as a martial artist. He was eager to begin filming the movie’s action scenes, but it was early days yet. Right now he was studying Trugg, who was playing the Medic, to learn her body language so he could convincingly replicate it in a fight sequence.

Ulaz watched the filming all morning, finding it somewhat monotonous but not so much that he became distracted. Eventually the crew broke for lunch. Since Ulaz had seen enough and wasn’t scheduled to film that day, he decided to go home for the afternoon. It was as he was turning away from the set that Ulaz noticed a man standing nearby, watching the proceedings with a frown.

The man had large, fluffy ears typical of northern Galra, a coat of royal purple fur, and distinguished looking, well-groomed facial markings. He was wearing a formal tunic, and looked rather out of place on a movie set where most of the crew was in casual clothing. His body language told Ulaz he _felt_ it, too. After a few moments, the man noticed Ulaz looking at him and sheepishly walked over.

“Hello... can you help me? I want to leave the set, but I don’t know my way around here,” the man said.

“Certainly,” Ulaz said politely. He would be the first to admit that this big yard full of film sets contained in buildings the size of warehouses could be confusing to someone who was unfamiliar with them. “It’s right this way.”

“Thank you,” the man said, following Ulaz out of the building. “You seem quite familiar with this place.”

“It’s not my first time working for Balmera Pictures,” Ulaz said wryly. “And yourself?”

The man sighed. “I’m the author who wrote the book and worked on the script. This is the first day I could get out to come watch the filming. Took me enough trouble to find this place to begin with.”

“You’re the author?” Ulaz said, his ears pinning back in surprise.

“Well, yes,” the man – Thace vas Noverok, for that must have been his name – said bashfully. Ulaz almost stopped in his tracks.

“It is an honour to meet you,” he said, because that was the only thing he could think of that was appropriate to say. If only he had known he would be meeting the author today, he would’ve taken the time to sort out his jumbled thoughts of admiration and love for the book and the characters contained within it, and distilled an appropriate compliment from them.

“Oh, uh – you read it?” Thace said, taken aback. “I mean, I’m sure you read the script, it’s just I didn’t expect anyone involved to actually take the time to read the source material.”

The two of them stopped walking, having reached the parking lot. “I read the book first,” Ulaz explained. “That is why I tried out for the part.”

Thace’s ears flicked, and he hovered uncertainly. “Oh,” he said. He glanced over at the parking lot, and it was clear that he wanted to stay and talk to Ulaz more, but could think of no excuse to do so. Ulaz felt the same. He wanted to ask Thace to lunch, but he also didn’t want to waste the author’s valuable time. He had heard that Thace was working on a new book about Antok, the adopted son of Emperor Kolivan – that must be keeping him busy. What did Ulaz have to offer other than half-formed compliments about “Two Good Men” that Thace had probably heard before?

“Well, it was nice meeting you,” Thace finally said, reaching out a hand. They clasped forearms, and then Thace was quickly walking away. Ulaz tried not to stare after him, grateful for their chance meeting, but a little bittersweet over the length of it and wondering if he would see him again.

***

SETTING: A hallway in a military fortress. MEDIC ULAZ walks down the hallway, and encounters WARRIOR THACE, who has just stepped out of a doorway.

ULAZ: Pardon me, can you assist me? I’m looking for the general.  
THACE: And what business have you with him?  
ULAZ: I am a medic who was sent to report to him for duty.  
THACE: Well, you’re in luck. I am General Thace.  
ULAZ: Greetings, and may the stars light your way to glory.  
THACE (surprised, recognising the Blade’s secret greeting): Well met, and may the sky be your friend. Why don’t you step into my study so we can speak of your assignment?  
ULAZ: Certainly.

THACE and ULAZ enter another door a little further down the hallway, finding themselves inside a study filled with Thace’s belongings and evidence of his activity as a general, including maps and important-looking papers.

THACE: I didn’t know that a Blade had been assigned to my command.  
ULAZ: Leader believes that I am needed here. You have a very crucial strategic position. You could probably use a little backup.  
THACE (looking Ulaz over appraisingly): That’s true. What happens here could make or break the resistance, don’t you think?  
ULAZ: Sir, I do not believe in miracles.  
THACE: I see.  
ULAZ: But I do believe in hard work, and in courage. Perhaps with those things, the two of us can achieve something worthwhile.  
THACE (with a small smile): That’s what I believe in, too.

***

“Lights, camera, action!”

Ulaz lunged forward, aggressively swinging his blade towards his opponent’s head. The other stunt double blocked in a clash of steel with theatrically exaggerated sparks. This fight might have been choreographed, but it still demanded all of Ulaz’s skill and attention to rise to the challenge of combat. He was playing out a fight between the Medic and an imperial soldier who had threatened to compromise his mission.

They re-did the same scene multiple times, making changes as suggested by the director, as well as ironing out mistakes. By the afternoon, Ulaz was exhausted. As Galra did not sweat, but lost heat through their skin, the room they were filming in was kept at a consistently low temperature – not cold enough to make them shiver, but cold enough that nobody could overheat inside the costume armour they wore. Even so, as Ulaz walked off the set he found himself having to immediately loosen the buckles on the armour to get a little air in underneath.

As he did so, he realised that Thace was back, and watching him with an expression of open admiration.

Thace said. “I didn’t realise you were a stunt double.”

“You thought I was a camera-man?” Ulaz said, winking to let Thace know he was just teasing.

“Or something,” Thace replied. “But I’m glad, because you – you were amazing.” He coughed. “I really enjoyed watching you. That’s not creepy, is it?”

Ulaz chuckled. “I’m told that is what one does with movies.”

At that, Thace laughed. “Watching this makes me wonder what the real fights the Medic would have had a hundred years ago would be like. Are we replicating everything properly? We know the Medic killed without hesitation if he saw a need for it, but did it bother him to do so?”

“I wonder about those things too,” Ulaz said. “I know I’m just a stunt double, but I wish to do the story justice in my own way.”

“That’s very admirable of you,” Thace said. Then he sighed, his ears flicking back as a shadow crossed his expression.

“Something wrong?”

Thace folded his arms, frowning. Then he sighed again, turned towards Ulaz, and said in a lowered voice, “I’m not very familiar with this movie-making business. Is it normal for the lead actor to threaten to quit in the first week of filming?”

“For a big name? Perhaps,” Ulaz snorted. “But nobody associated with this picture has quite that much ego, to my knowledge.”

Thace looked dismayed. “I... well, alright.”

“Even if one of them does quit, the movie will go on. It always does,” Ulaz said, trying to be reassuring. If he’d had time, he would’ve regaled Thace with some of the more interesting stories he’d seen or heard about during his time as an actor. But as it was, he was still stuck in some uncomfortable armour, with a pressing need to get home and rest.

“Thanks,” Thace said, giving Ulaz a lopsided smile. “I’ll let you go now.”

Ulaz nodded farewell to Thace, and then turned to go.

“Wait – one more thing,” Thace said. Ulaz turned back. “Um... thank you. For the effort you’re putting into this movie. It’s – heartening, to know that someone else cares about this story.”

“It was a heartening story to read,” Ulaz simply replied.

***

ULAZ: Don’t you see? This could be the chance we’ve been waiting for. If we pull this off, it could take the Empire years to recover.  
THACE: And if we fail, the fate that awaits us is death. Even if we succeed, we may still be put to death.  
ULAZ: I know what I signed up for. My own life is not dear to me.  
THACE: Me too. In truth, the only thing in this world it would pain me to lose is you.  
ULAZ: I – Thace.  
THACE: I should’ve told you earlier. I’m sorry.  
ULAZ: I already knew. But you know what is at stake.  
THACE: I do. I know. I can’t put your wellbeing ahead of the good of the mission... And I apologise if I have been too forward.  
ULAZ (gives a long pause): You have... but it would be wrong of me not to admit... that I feel the same.  
THACE: Oh.

***

Two days later, the film’s production was called to an unceremonious halt. Ulaz, of course, had some idea of what had happened. One of the two lead actors must have quit, just as Thace had hinted. It was a little concerning, because the film was already in production and a lot of money was on the line. He desperately hoped that it was not Trugg who had quit, because then he would have to study to act like somebody else. But somehow, Ulaz had a bad feeling about it.

What he did not expect was a knock on his door that day at around ten in the morning. When he went to answer, he found, to his shock, that it was Thace standing there.

“Hello?” Ulaz said as he opened the door, perplexed. Thace looked even more stressed than he had the last time they had met.

“Ulaz... may I come in? I know this is sudden, but I just had to talk to you,” Thace said, running a hand through his headfur as he spoke.

Wordlessly, Ulaz opened the door to him, and Thace stepped inside. Ulaz kept his apartment neat, but he was spectacularly underdressed in a pair of sweatpants and a band t-shirt with a small hole in the sleeve. Thace, too, was dressed down in a pair of jeans and a button-down. It was odd to see him without his customary formal tunic. Ulaz led him to the kitchen, where he set the kettle to boil. He gathered that Thace wanted to talk to someone about the actor situation, but why he had chosen Ulaz of all people was beyond him. And also, why he had chosen to come to Ulaz’s house rather than just calling him on the phone.

“So you know how Trugg quit,” Thace said without preamble as he sat at Ulaz’s kitchen table. Ulaz groaned internally. Why couldn’t it have been any other actor in the cast?

“Yes?” he said, coming to sit down as well.

“I’d like you to replace her,” Thace said.

Ulaz flicked his ears, and then burst into laughter. “Thank you for the vote of confidence, but I’m no actor. I’m a martial arts expert.”

“I know you’ve acted before,” Thace said earnestly. “And this movie needs you. The way you move – it’s perfect. And you – you have the passion. I can’t say the same for any of your potential replacements.”

“I’ve only acted in secondary roles. Tertiary ones! Nothing like this,” Ulaz said, beginning to feel awkward. He wished he could be the actor that Thace and the story needed now, but he simply was too inexperienced for it.

“Can I at least convince you to do a screen test?” Thace said.

Sighing, Ulaz got up to fetch the tea. He stalled for time at the counter, methodically pulling cups, saucers, sugar, and milk from the shelves and the refrigerator, then setting them on the table. All the while, he said nothing. Would it hurt to do a screen test? He supposed it wouldn’t. It might even be fun. Hopefully not humiliating, at the very least.

When he finally sat down opposite Thace again, taking his teacup in hand, he saw Thace watching him with a stupidly hopeful expression.

“Oh, alright,” Ulaz said. “One screen test.”

***

SETTING: A prison cell. THACE and ULAZ both show obvious injuries. Not from torture, but from the scuffle surrounding their attempts to escape capture. Their hands are bound behind them on short lengths of chain which are anchored to the walls.

THACE: Any regrets?  
ULAZ: I can hardly regret anything so long as you are by my side.  
THACE: Even if we never live to see the fruits of our labours, I hope what we have done here will one day give others like us the chance to live the lives we would have lived had we been free.  
ULAZ: Yes, others like us... Two who can peacefully grow old together, two who can raise a family if they so choose. Two who can live freely, when there are no Blades, no witches and no druids, no conquest – and no emperors.  
THACE: How do you think they’ll fall in love?  
ULAZ: Why, the same way we did.  
THACE: By accident?  
ULAZ: You really think it was an accident?  
THACE: You’re not suggesting it was – fate?  
ULAZ: No. I am merely suggesting that it was inevitable. We have always fought the same fight, long before we knew each other. We believed in the same things. Isn’t it natural our hearts should become aligned?  
THACE: I see what you mean.

Enter GUARD 1 and GUARD 2.

GUARD 1 (unshackling Thace from the wall): You. You’re coming with us.  
GUARD 2: Any last words for your little boyfriend?  
THACE: Goodbye, my love. And may the stars light your way to the world beyond.  
ULAZ: And to you as well.

***

Even after all the work he’d put in - the exhaustive takes, the nonstop filming - Ulaz still had trouble believing it was his own face he was watching up on the big screen. Months later, he was still reeling from the fact that somehow Thace had managed to convince not just him, but the director, producer, and all the other executives that Ulaz was the person to fill the Medic’s shoes.

Maybe it was this sense of alienation that enabled him to approach the movie as if it were a story he was seeing for the very first time. On screen, he saw two warriors, proud and brave. In spite of the difficult times they lived in, which necessitated that they guard their hearts, a love blossomed between them. Their descent into lovers was slow, gradual, but deeply earned. Their love made them strong in a world that wanted them to be weak. And it was also this love that at once made it necessary for them to sacrifice themselves for a better future, but also made it impossibly difficult for them to allow themselves to do so. At the end of the movie, there was not a dry eye in the house.

Ulaz himself was blinking back tears, but it was nothing compared to Thace, who was openly weeping with his face in his hands even as the house lights came up. Ulaz, who was sitting beside him, sat quietly and respectfully until Thace had finished crying himself out. When he started wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands and sniffing, Ulaz handed him a few paper napkins they had gotten from the concessions.

As it was the premiere, various different actors, including Ulaz himself, were called upon to talk about their roles in the film. After he’d gotten ahold of himself, Thace also went up to talk about the script. Ulaz enjoyed hearing Thace’s commentary, but not as much as he would have at any other premiere. He and Thace had become great friends over the past few months of filming and development, and Ulaz already knew most of Thace’s thoughts on the movie and the story.  
After the party was over, Ulaz and Thace lingered in the lobby for a little while longer.

“Thanks for... uh...”

“The napkins?” Ulaz supplied, and Thace laughed, then looked a little pensive.

“When I first started researching this story, I thought maybe nobody would care about it. Why should two secret revolutionaries who were killed centuries ago matter to anyone? But now it’s a movie. I can’t believe it...”

“You feel a kinship for them, don’t you?” Ulaz said gently, already knowing what Thace’s answer would be. In a way, he felt a kinship for them as well – for the Medic, at least. He’d felt it when he had first read the book, and the feeling had only been amplified now that he had played the man’s role in a film.

“I suppose so,” Thace murmured, his gaze far away. After a while, he said, “Do you think, if you’d been born before the war, would you have done the same thing the Medic did? Would you have kept your whole life secret and risked it all just to be a hero?”

Ulaz thought about it. “I don’t know,” he said. “Of course I’d like to think that I would have done what he did, had I been in his place. But unless you live through times like those, it’s hard to say what you’d actually do.”

“That’s true.” Thace nodded. “We’re hardly what you would call warriors.”

“We are in a way,” Ulaz said, as Thace’s far-away gaze refocused on him. “Well, you are. You fought hard for this story to be told. I think that the Medic and the Warrior would’ve liked that.”

Thace smiled, turning to Ulaz. “So did you, my friend.”

Ulaz felt his breath quicken when Thace looked at him like that.

“Well, I don’t know about that,” he said. “But I do know that I’d like to ask you out for coffee.”

Thace’s ears flicked and he started in surprise. Ulaz only had a beat to feel nervous before Thace’s face broke out into an even bigger smile, a small blush rising to his cheeks.

“I’d like that,” he said.

***

And light the way the stars did, dear reader. For if you are holding this story in front of you, it means that you have seen the lovers’ reunion with your own two eyes. ■

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Thulaz Zine](https://galrashipzine.tumblr.com/post/182029982712/its-finally-here-90-pages-of-thulaz-content). Beta'd by Revasnaslan. My major contribution to the Thulaz fandom. The last names and a few other details used are Rev's headcanons. 
> 
> Comments always welcome!


End file.
